Chapter 4
1028 Words
The day of the auction finally arrived. I slipped into my finest outfit and walked slowly down the stairs.
Thomas already had his arm around Trisha's waist. The moment he saw me, he froze briefly.
"Let's go," he said. "The car's already warmed up."
I walked straight over, gently nudged Trisha aside, and slipped my arm through his.
A faint smile appeared on Thomas' lips. "So you've changed your mind about the divorce?"
I merely smiled in response.
Without answering, I let my gaze sweep briefly across the trunk of the car before climbing into the front passenger seat.
In the rearview mirror, I caught Trisha glaring at me, the hatred in her eyes sharp enough to cut flesh.
Thomas, meanwhile, seemed to be in an unusually good mood. The entire drive, he chatted about several auction pieces he was interested in purchasing. I barely listened. Most of the time, I either stared at my phone or gazed out the window.
When we arrived at the venue, I deliberately chose a seat far away from both of them. Thomas frowned.
"You're sitting that far away?" he asked. "Are you trying to embarrass me in front of the media?"
"We're getting divorced anyway," I replied with a smile. "Does it really matter whether we sit together?"
His expression darkened immediately.
As if trying to provoke me, he spent lavishly throughout the auction.
One after another, he purchased three sets of diamond jewelry and presented them to Trisha.
Raising his voice, so everyone could hear, he announced proudly, "A gift for the most important woman in my life."
The reporters instantly sensed a story.
They rushed toward him.
"Mr. Blackwell, is it true that your marriage to Mrs. Blackwell has fallen apart?"
Thomas offered neither confirmation nor denial. Instead, he simply smiled and looked toward me.
He was waiting for me to react, waiting for me to deny the rumors, waiting for me to make a scene. But I remained silent.
Throughout the entire auction, I sat quietly like a spectator.
Trisha beamed as she admired her jewelry.
Meanwhile, Thomas' expression became darker with every passing minute.
Finally, as the auction neared its conclusion, I rose from my seat.
My eyes briefly landed on the familiar figure seated in the far corner.
Then I walked onto the stage, my heels clicking softly against the floor.
"Good evening, everyone," I said as I accepted the microphone. "Today, I also have several paintings I'd like to auction. They were left to me by my late father."
Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.
"Why would Mrs. Blackwell sell her father's belongings?"
"Are the divorce rumors actually true?"
I lifted the microphone again. "Thomas Blackwell and I are currently going through divorce proceedings."
The room instantly erupted.
"Mr. Blackwell intends for me to leave this marriage with virtually nothing," I continued calmly. "As a result, I've been forced to sell these paintings."
Camera flashes exploded across the room.
"Is this because of Miss Trisha?"
"Did she cause the breakdown of the marriage?"
Thomas' face turned ashen. Clenching his fists, he let out a cold laugh.
"Those worthless paintings?" he scoffed. "How much money could they possibly be worth?"
Objectively speaking, he wasn't wrong. At that moment, Theo Reed was still relatively unknown.
But after his death, his collection of 12 paintings would become extraordinarily valuable.
And today… Today was the day he would die.
"Enough of this, Brittany," Thomas said through gritted teeth, suppressing his anger. "If you're short on money, I'll increase your allowance. I can even buy the paintings myself. Consider it charity."
"No thanks." I waved him off. "Save your money for buying jewelry for Trisha." A faint smile touched my lips. "As for these paintings, they'll go to someone who truly appreciates them."
Silence settled over the auction hall. Not a single paddle was raised.
Thomas arched an eyebrow, clearly preparing to mock me. Then a voice suddenly rang out from the back of the room.
"Three million."
My heart settled. He had come.
Thomas recognized him immediately as well.
His expression darkened.
"So that's your lover?" he demanded.
Before I could respond, he grabbed my wrist.
I immediately pulled free. "Please behave yourself, Mr. Blackwell," I said coldly. "If you're not interested in the next lot, you're welcome to leave."
Beside him, Trisha tugged gently on his sleeve.
"Thomas," she said softly, pressing a hand to her stomach, "I'm not feeling well. Can we go home?"
He shot me one venomous glare before turning away.
End of Brittany's POV
Moments later, Thomas and Trisha left the venue.
But just as Thomas reached his car, a breaking international news alert appeared on his phone.
At nearly the same moment, notification sounds echoed throughout the auction hall.
Thomas froze.
The headline flashed across his screen.
"French Painter Theo Reed Passes Away This Morning; Experts Predict His Final Works Will Dramatically Increase in Value"
His eyes widened in disbelief. He spun around and rushed back inside.
By the time he returned to the auction hall, the bidding had already skyrocketed several times over.
"Five million!" he shouted, out of breath. "I'll pay five million! I want those paintings!"
Security guards immediately stepped in and blocked his path. One of them shook his head.
"Anyone who leaves the venue is prohibited from participating in further bidding."
A faint smile curved Brittany's lips.
The auctioneer brought down the gavel.
"Sold for thirty million."
The room fell silent.
"These paintings now belong to Mr. Jordan Quinn."
Thomas stood rooted to the spot. He could only watch as Jordan Quinn rose from his seat in the corner and offered Brittany a small, knowing smile.
In less than thirty minutes, Blackwell Holdings would be plunged into a devastating crisis.
And Thomas had just lost...
The only opportunity he would ever have to prevent it.
- Writer
